1961 Machu Picchu, Peru. This ruin in its spectacular mountain setting has become the icon for Peru and its wonderful Inca heritage. I was lucky to reach the site before serious tourism began and was able to camp and take this picture at dawn overlooking the main temples and principal plaza - the clearing near the centre of this picture.

Machu Picchu was drawn to world attention in 1911 when the American Yale University scholar Hiram Bingham reached it during a scientific expedition, though he was not the first to get there. A National Geographic Magazine of 1913 has many of his pictures of the site before the vegetation was cleared.The peak of Huayna Potosi rises through the mist to about 360 metres about the main ruins. Just to the left of the centre of the image is the area of the main temples and in the mist shrouded plaza a sacred rock is barely visible. The rock is no longer in the plaza. By 1972 it had been moved to a new location for some reason that is still obscure.

Camera: MPP Microflex Twin Lens Reflex with f 3.5 77.5mm Taylor Taylor Hobson lens. Film Kodak Verichrome Pan at F4 - 1/30 second. Developed by hand in Lima, using May and Baker Promicrol at normal dilution.

Negative: Peru 61-03-04 © Tony Morrison